What should I wear???

I'm sure I'm not the only person who wonders, "What should I wear," but in this case, I had to begin to ask some questions of some friends.

You see, I only have three fancy dresses. Three. One of those is long enough to be formal, one is short, and one is tea-length. The latter two are velvet. I also have a couple of not-so-fancy, nicer-than-church-but-too-short-for-formal dresses.

And we have another formal banquet next week.

And the last formal banquet was earlier this year, and I wore my one long dress.

Not that everyone is watching what the Chaplain's Wife is wearing, but still. I want to make my hubby proud AND look worthy of his mess dress (which for my non-military readers is a funny name for the tuxedo uniform).

So, the other day I hit the Salvation Army, and yesterday I checked every clearance rack I could find at the mall. Nothing. My budget was $50.

Did I mention I'm also uber-modest and am nervous about any cleavage? Yeah.

So, today while my girls were at SPA (Summer Performing Arts), I decided to go to a couple of new-to-me thrift stores.

I found a dress, no name label, made in Canada. It's an amazing and nearly-indescribable olive color with a subtle large-floral print. Spaghetti straps, but covers my chest completely without looking Amish. $9.99 plus tax.

Then on my way to pick up my girl, I stopped in at the old faithful Goodwill. They had a nice selection of formals as well, so to kill time I tried a few on. Found another one! This one is a clingy knit, with short little cap sleeves, black and sparkly.

I nearly fainted when the cashier told me my total was $1.60.

So, for twelve dollars, God blessed me with TWO formals!

Now I have to decide which one to wear.

And I need a new fancy clutch....

checking in

I thought I'd check in on my summer goals thus far...

I finished Season 1 of Grey's Anatomy. It turns out that doesn't take much; it was a midseason replacement so it's only 9 episodes long. Now I'm in Season 2. I didn't begin watching the show until February sweeps of that season, so most of this is new to me. It's been fun watching the characters and their relationships evolve from the beginning (and thanks to Swapadvd.com I am not out a whole lot of money on rentals!).

I read four books last week. Not bad, especially since I worked several shifts.

Doing better on the Bible and journaling. Not great, but better.

Walking the dog ended up being stymied by weather and my own allergies/cold/loss of voice time at the end of the week. Today it's raining.

I had to clear out the downstairs coat closet in preparation for having the carpet ripped up. So it's pretty much empty at this point. Looking forward to organizing it better!

So far, that's the state of all things Pattie for now. This week begins summer dance in addition to the other summer stuff......

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes is the latest release from the always-delightful Robin Jones Gunn.

Publisher's Summary:

When a mammogram result comes back abnormal, midlife mama Summer Finley makes a snap decision to relegate fear to the back burner and fulfill a lifelong dream. Summer heads for Holland where she meets up with tulips, wooden shoes, and her best friend, Noelle.

Pen pals since fourth grade, Summer and Noelle have never met face-to-face. Through decades of heart-level correspondence, they have sustained a deep friendship. A week of adventure helps both women trade anxiety for a renewed and deeper trust in God. When Summer confides in Noelle about the abnormal medical report, Noelle finds the freedom to share a long-held heartache, and both women discover they needed each other more than they realized.

Women ages 35 and up, readers of Christian Boomer Lit, and fans of books such as The Yada Yada Prayer Group will enjoy Robin Jones Gunn’s humorous and uplifting style. True-to-life characters and moments of poignancy bring a deeper understanding of the value of life and the gift of true friends. Readers guide and bonus material included.

About the FABULOUS AUTHOR:

Robin Jones Gunn is the best-selling and award-winning author of over seventy books, including the Glenbrooke, Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, Katie Weldon, and Christy and Todd: The College Years teen series. The Sisterchicks® series has sold more than 300,000 units, bringing her total sales to more than 3.5 million books worldwide. A Christy Award winner, Robin is a popular speaker, both at home and abroad, and is frequently interviewed on radio and on television. www.robingunn.com www.sisterchicks.com

Pattie's Review:

OK, so anyone who knows me knows I LOVE me some Robin Jones Gunn. I did a book review in college of one of the Christy Miller books, and while I liked it, it was not exactly accessible to me as a college student struggling to balance American novels, Romantic poetry, and secondary education methods!

Fast forward to 1995. I was taking a semester break from grad school, and needed a reading break from all the heavy lit I was cramming in preparation for my master's comps. Enter the local Christian bookstore and a book called Secrets. I was hooked! I felt like Jessica was a kindred spirit--poor struggling English teachers that we both were. I've been a faithful follower of Robin's work in the Glenbrooke and Sisterchicks series ever since.

My favorite thing about Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes was how the friends connected after not having seen each other in decades. That comforts me, because as a military wife, I'm dealing with a LOT of friendship separation right now.

Another great part comes in the middle of the novel. Summer tells Noelle, "I want to remember it [the Bible verse]. There's a difference for me between memorizing something and really holding on to it in my heart." Noelle replies, "You want to own the truth and not just rent the words." Isn't that an amazing Truth?

I also loved how each woman tries very hard to enjoy the moments they share together, and enjoy life where they are in each moment.

So what are you waiting for? Go and order this book here or here, or drive on down to your local Christian bookstore and get it today!

a poetry thought for today

"Poetry is the one place where people can speak their original human mind.

It is the outlet for people to say in public what is known in private."

~Allen Ginsberg~

2009 Reading Challenges

My list of books I really need to or want to read and/or finish:

1. The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper (OSC Book Club)

2. Waiting by Ha Jin (OSC Book Club)
3. Channeling Mark Twain by Carol Muske Dukes (OSC Book Club)
4. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
5. Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle
6. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (also a Jewish Lit Challenge choice)
7. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire (holdover from 2008)
---8. Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire (holdover from 2008) **I give up. I will not finish this one, ever. I just can't get into it.**

9. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

10. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
11. Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
12. Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter

ALTERNATES:

Suite française by Irène Némirovsky
The Hidden Life of Otto Frank by Carol Ann Lee }
Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg
Getting into Character by Brandilyn Collins
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
Big Girls Don't Whine by Jan Silvious

4 books about Judaism or written by Jewish authors. Challenge runs from Dec. 21, 2008 - April 27, 2009

Here is my list:
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Suite française by Irène Némirovsky
Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Fax Me a Bagel by Sharon Kahn (I read one other book in this series last year!)

Alternate selections (in case I can't finish the above books, or decide differently): The Book Thief by Marcus Zuzak
The Hidden Life of Otto Frank by Carol Ann Lee (Dad gave me his copy)

OSC BOOK CLUB 2008-09

Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America - Stephen Bloom

The Shack - William P. Young I am not reading this one, because I have to miss the meeting.
The House at Sugar Beach - Helene Cooper
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate Di Camillo
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons - Lorna Landvik
Waiting - Ha Jin
Channeling Mark Twain - Carol Muskie-Dukes

Yay for Spring!
FICTION:
[X] Turning the Paige by Laura Jensen Walker (review)
Nothing but Trouble by Susan May Warren (review)
[X] Waiting by Ha Jin (book club)
[X] Channeling Mark Twain by Carol Muskie Dukes (book club)
[X] Fax Me a Bagel by Sharon Kahn (Jewish lit challenge)
[X] Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot (review)
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (reread before sequel...)
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (sequel to FNKC) (TBR Challenge book)

NONFICTION:
The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield (review)
Experiencing the Spirit by Henry and Melvin Blackaby (review)
Clutter-Free Christianity by Robert Jeffress (review)
[X]GOD Strong (for military wives) by Sara Horn (advance manuscript! woohoo!) - No review because it isn't published yet. The review will come when it comes out.

The Summer List

Once again, I'm inspired by my friend Dana. She made a "Summer 30" list. Like her, I love a good list. Also like her, I don't always finish the lists, but that never stops me from making one!

So in no particular order, here are some things I'd like to do during the summer months. For my purposes, "summer" is June 1-August 25. Periodically I'll go back and update this post, so the original posting date here is June 1, 2009.

1. Read the Bible - no particular time frame or amount, just more than I'm doing now.
2. Journal every day.
3. Read 25 books.
4. Organize books.
5. Walk Princess Buttercup (the overweight cocker spaniel) at least five times a week. Ideally this will be daily, but hey, it does rain sometimes.
6. Get my Curves jeans hemmed.
7. Organize my photographs into boxes.
8. Burn digital photographs from old computer onto CDs.
9. Finish moving teaching floppy disk data to old computer, then burn to CD.
10. Save all digital photos to the external hard drive.
11. Watch Season 1 and Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy. Done! Now watching Season 3.
12. Clean out and reorganize the linen closet.
13. Organize my scrapbooking supplies.
14. Reorganize the downstairs coat closet.
15. Go through review book box and notebook, and make sure all reviews are posted.
16. Write. Write. Write!!!
17. Watch The Office that I borrowed from my sister. Finish Season 1, watch Season 2. Watch Seasons 3, 4, and 5

Vacation Bible School

We're doing VBS this week on base, so I'll be out of pocket this week for the most part.

Have a great week!